Korean War - Causes And Events

Question 1

How did Soviets begin to help rearm the North Korean military from 1949?

Answer 1

• 87 T-34 tanks were supplied
• Military Aircraft supplied
• 50,000 hardened veterans from Chinese Civil War were also drafted into the North Korean army.

Question 2

By 1950, Stalin began to increase the pace of arming Kim. What else did he provide?

Answer 2

• More T-34 Tanks, SU-76 self propelled guns, heavy howitzers and river crossing gear were all sent across the harbour between April - May 1950.
• Equipment for a further 3 divisions was supplied.

Question 3

By June 1950, Kim had how many tanks, aircraft and soldiers?

Answer 3

242 tanks.

200 aircraft.

130,000 troops.

Question 4

The South Korean army were significantly weaker than their Northern counterparts.

How many troops, aircraft and tanks did they have?

Answer 4

• 100,000 poorly trained and equipped troops, 30,000 less than North.
• 27 light armoured vehicles.
• 22 aircraft.
• 0 tanks.

Question 5

Unlike the Soviets, the Americans were reluctant to fully supply assistance to South Korea.

How many American troops were in the country?

Answer 5

• only 500 American troops were in the Korean Advisory Group (KMAG).

Question 6

Stalin was overly confident with the USSR presence in Asia.

Why?

Answer 6

• Creation of communist China in 1950 further built up his confidence.
• Signed a pact with China in Feb 1950 that reassured Stalin to some extent of Chinese support in Korea if it was necessary.
• US policies made Stalin even more confident with the communist control of Asia.
• US were no longer the only holders of the atomic weapon, USSR joined in on the fun.

However, Japan caused concern because of its new relationship with the USA.

Question 7

What were the ambiguous US foreign policies relating to Korea? ( that expressed indifference towards it)

Answer 7

• Defence perimeter and exclusion of Korea.
• Truman blamed for removing troops from South Korea - therefore leaving country vulnerable.
• Senator Connally made a speech in which he accepted a communist takeover of the whole of Korea.
• NSC 48 , ‘South Korea was not vital for US interests’.
• January 1950, Republican dominated congress rejected a bill for aid to Korea. (It was later passed but damage had been done, it demonstrated Korea’s lack of importance to USA).
• Asia First politicians felt that Truman encouraged an invasion due to lax foreign policies.
• Concerns surrounding security of Japan, ‘a dagger pointed at the heart of Japan’.

Question 8

How did Kim il Sung gain external support in the civil war?

Answer 8

He visited Moscow in 1950 to gain support and supplies from USSR.

He also visited Mao in China for further support.

Historians believe that the initial idea came from Kim, not from Stalin or Mao.